Method for effecting and controlling the recharge of underground formations by special wells



1953 R. NEBOLSINE METHOD FOR EFFECTING AND CONTROLLING THE RECHARGE OFUNDERGROUND FORMATIONS BY SPECIAL WELLS Filed Dec. 15, 1949 2SHEETSSHEET l Feb. 24, 1953 R. NEBOLSINE 2,629,447

METHOD FOR EFFECTING AND CONTROLLING THE RECHARGE 0F UNDERGROUNDFORMATIONS BY SPECIAL WELLS Filed Dec. 15, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 u "I! IPatented Feb. 24, 1953 UNITED STATE GFFICE Application December 15,19429, Serial No. 133,174

1 illaiin.

The present invention relates to the better utilization of Water orother fluids by artificial recharging of underground formationspermitting such action, as, for example, porous rocks, sand and/orgravel strata in order to create additional supply of fluid at desiredareas at a time when the source of fluid supply is on, and forabstraction and use of said iiuid or of displaced fluid when such supplysubstantially decreases. Thus, very large quantities of fluid can bestored underground for later use.

In my method, special means is employed in the formation of therecharging well and the form and relation of its elements to insure siverecharging rates and maintain rich recharge rates by automatic cleaningor flushing of the exposed permeable underground formation or of theopenings through which iluid is normally charged from the well into theground formation.

The above and other objects of the invention will be described withreference to th accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view largely in sectional elevation showing one form ofapparatus for carrying out the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation which is enlarged to show the lower endor portion of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3. Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the movable head portion of amodified re-oharging well rangernent;

Fig. 5 is a somewhat enlarged horizontal section on the line E is. 4;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken above the movable cleaning headshown in Fig. 4, and some what enlarged with respect to that figure. and

Fig. 7 is a vertical section talren on the line 'l-l, Fig. 6, reduced insize with respect to that figure.

Referring to the drawings. and particularly Figs. 1-3, inclusive, I haveshown at i a ground formation of that type adapted to be charged orrecharged with Water, but which formation is shown schematically. Withinthe formation is driven or otherwise installed, a casing 5 2 of suitablecross-section and preferably cylindrical. The lower area of the casingfor a considerable distance from its end is provided with openings, asat 3, which have a double function will later be described.

Within casing 2 is a conduit, preferably of strong rigid metal, andwhich is shown at l.

This conduit projects upwardly from the casing head 5 and is connectedto means for raising and lowering it. Fig. l the conduit t is shown ashaving an inlet head 5 in communication with a flexible fluid-receivingtube 7, and head 6 has attached thereto a cable 3 for the purpose ofraising and lowering the conduit.

ll ithin casing 2 and carried by conduit d is a head d of specialconstruction. As can be noted from Figs. 1 and 2, the conduit is closedat its lower end by a weight valve member It! of such formation thatwhen the conduit and head are moved downwardly until the weight valvestrikes the underlying ground formation and is raised. fluid can bedrawn from said area directly into the conduit l.

In the said constructions of Figs. 1 to 3, the head 9 can be slidablyraised and lowered by corresponding movements of the tubular conduitwhich carries it, and at the same time the periphery of the cleaninghead closely fits the interior face of the casing 2. The cleaning headhasprojected therethrough a plurality of tubes l l, and these tubes mayhold separate upper and lower head sections as shown in Fig. 4. Thisspacing provides passageway for fluid passing radially toward the wellthrough selected apertures or screen openings of the easing into thehead and through openings 5.2 (Fig. 2) in the tubular conduit, orpassing through a lower well boundary of firm compact porous groundtonnation whichwould the equivalent.

The casing head 5 is provided with a water entrance pipe i so that Waterunder pressure may enter the ca 2; to pass downwardly around the.conduit and to the head, the pipes ii providing passage throughthe headby the water. It will generally be preferred that'the volume of waterpassing through the .head'be substantially greater than the waterpassing into the head from the openings in the casing wall. For ample,in the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the passageway at i5 leading throughthe head to the openings i2 the conduit is relatively narrow andreceives water from a substantially restricted area of the casing.

In the operation of the embodiment shown in Fi s. 1 to inclusive, wateror some other fluid is led into the casing via a pipe is and passesthrough. ports in the casing both above and below the head. the waterfreely passing through the pipes or tubes I! which project through thehead a. This casing intake of water may be under a desired pressure,above gravity if desired. Thus the water may be passed into the casingin excess of the capacity of the ports 3 to discharge the water into theground formation. But whether the water discharged from the casingthrough ports 3 is under gravitational or under applied pressure, adifferential in pressure will be created at the area of the casingclosed by the head as to casing ports. In other words, there will behydrostatic pressure above and below those ports of the casing which areopened to the interior of the head in Whatever vertical position thehead is brought by raising or lowering the tubular conduit 4. Thishydrostatic differential in pressure is normally brought into suchcontrol as to effect radial flow concentrically inward thusautomatically flushing and cleaning the openings in the well screen andthe adjacent permeable underground formation.

The clogging of openings or screens in wells of the general type and ofthe adjacent porous and permeable underground formations has constituteda serious problem for many years. This is caused by matter in suspensioncarried by the water or other fluid fed into the underground reservoir.By the simple means of my invention, the entire section of the well incommunication with the permeable underground formation and the fluidbearing structure adjacent to the well can efiiciently 'be cleaned byraising and lowering the conduit and attached head, throughcorresponding movements of the conduit itself, and permitting thedifferential hydrostatic pressure to dislodge and carry inward thematerial packed about and in the adjacent permeable formation and theopenings or screen holes and which has been brought in by the fluidoutwardly flowing through the exposed area into the undergroundformation.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 4 to 7, inclusive, the casing andconduit will be the same, or at least may be the same as thatillustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive. Therefore, the same referencecharacters have been employed for the said elements. As in thelast-named figures, the head is formed as an upper section, indicated atIT, and a lower section which is indicated at I8. Between these sectionsis a water entrance area indicated in Fig. 4 at l9, and which maysurround the tubular conduit 4. The conduit is slotted or otherwiseapertured at for the ingress of water to the tubular conduit. However,the tubular conduit itself carries a plurality of vertically arrangedmetallic pipe members 2 I. These may be made of split tubinlongitudinally spread at the splits and welded to the tubular conduit 4.These members 2| extend through the head sections from end to endthereof, and if desired, they may, by contact with the inner wall of thecasing 2 provide independent parallel passageways dis posed laterallywith respect to the conduit and leading to those openings in the well asare below any given vertical position of the head.

Due to the proportions of the elements and the relatively highhydrostatic pressure which can be built up, it is entirely feasible toutilize such pressure for carrying the dislodged port-clogging materialand accompanying water upwardly out of the tubular conduit without thenecessity of suction, but suction can be employed if desired.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made in the formand arrangement of the elements constituting the embodiment shown,without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is as follows:

A method of operating recharging wells of that character having a casedupper section and also a lower section in fluid communication withpermeable underground formation, which consists in partially blockingolf from within the well a selected section of exposed surface Of fluidbearing formation by means of a reverse flow head and withdrawing fluidfrom said underground formation through unblocked openings opposite thehead thence therein and through ports in a conduit carrying said head,and conducting the flow upwards, and discharging the flow at the top ofth well, these operations being conducted simultaneously with thefeeding of a proportionately larger volume of fluid into the permeableunderground formations above and below the head through openings whichare in contact with the permeable underground formation, said upwardflow being achieved by producing a differential hydrostatic pressurebetween the fluid in the adjacent underground formation, both above andbelow said blocked area and the interior of the cleaning head and of theattached conduit, the latter extending to the top of the well, andperiodically and automatically creating this differential pressurewithin the said cleaning head and conduit for effecting reverse flowconcentrically towards the cleaning head and up through the conduit tothe top of the well.

ROSS NEBOLSINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

